Combination cigarette mouthpiece and shield



Aug. 13, 1963 G. w. RUNDLE COMBINATION CIGARETTE MOUTHPIECE AND SHIELD Filed Oct. 26, 1961 INVENTOR eorye WFl/fid/ ATTORNEY Filed Oct. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 147,813 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-175) This invention relates to a combined cigarette mouthp ece and shield, and has as its primary object the provision of a shield for encompassing a cigarette during smoking thereof for the elimination of fire hazard.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby the shield may be readily detachably engaged with a cigarette holding mouthpiece.

Another object is to provide a construction in the shield whereby excessive heating of the walls thereof by the burning of a cigarette encased thereby will be prevented and whereby the ignition of materials contacting the shield, by reason of such contact, ordinarily will not be likely to occur.

It is well known that the smoking of cigarettes as generally practiced is accompanied by the hazard of fire, it being a common occurrence for fires to be started by the careless flicking of burning ashes from a cigarette and by the dropping of a lighted cigarette stub into' inflammable material. Fires thus generated frequently result in the loss of life and the destruction of valuable property.

While it is impossible to control the acts of careless smokers, the hazard of such acts are so great'that many regulations are in efiect prohibiting smoking in certain areas and extensive campaigns are being conducted directed to curbing the use of cigarettes where the hazard of fire is present.

The present invention is designed to aflord a means whereby the setting of a fire by the dropping of live ashes from a cigarette, or the accidental dropping of a burning cigarette, may be eliminated.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the combined cigarette mouthpiece and shield;

FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal section as seen on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of the mouthpiece showing it as detached from the shield and depicting a cigarette mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, A indicates generally a cigarette mouthpiece which comprises a tubular stem 6 having an inner end 7, adapted to be held in the mouth of the smoker, and having an outer end terminating in a split cylindrical wall 8 surrounding a socket 8 for receiving and holding a cigarette B, which stem has a draft passage 9 leading longitudinally therethrough and opening at its outer end in said socket. The outer end portion of the stem 6 has an annular flange 10 projecting from the base of the wall 8.

In carrying out the invention, a tubular shield C is pro- ,United States Patent 0 3,100,493 Patented Aug. 13-, 1963 vided, which shield is adapted to be demountably attached to the outer end of the stem A so as to encompass a cigarette B supported in the socket 8'.

The shield C embodies a side wall consisting of a pair of spaced concentric inner and outer cylindrical walls 11-12 with a continuous air space 13 therebetween, which space opens at the inner endof the shield and is closed at the outer end of the latter by a wall 14 which joins the outer ends of the walls 11-42. The inner cylindrical wall 11 has an inside diameter at the inner end thereof substantially corresponding to that of the outside diameter of the Wall 8 of the socket 8' so as to be slidably engageable therewith, and being of a mean inside diameter throughout exceeding that of the cigarette B such as to provide a space between its inner surface and the outer surface of the cigarette B encompassed thereby.

A reticulate or perforated wall 15 is provided at the I outer end of the inner wall 11, which, while permitting ingress of air to support combustion of the cigarette B will serve as a barrier to prevent the egress of cigarette ash from the interior of the shield.

A series of cylindrical studs 16 project from the outer end face of the flange 10 in parallel axial relation to the cylindrical wall 8 and spaced from the outer periphery of the latter a distance equal the thickness of the inner end portion of the inner Wall 11 of the shield C each of the studs having a diameter corresponding to the width of the air space 13 so that the studs 16 are adapted to abut the inner periphery of the outer wall 12 and the outer periphery of the Wall 11 of the shield when the latter is applied to the mouthpiece A. The studs 16 frictionally engage the walls 11-12 and co-operate with the wall 8 in aiiording a stable demountable connection between the shield C and mouthpiece A.

When the shield C is attached to the mouthpiece A, the inner ends of the walls 11-12 of the shield abut the outer face of the flange 10 of the mouthpiece, thus normally sealing the space 13 between the walls 1112 and thereby forming a dead air space with its inherent insulating property. However, it may be desirable in some instances to open the space 13 to atmosphere in which event vent apertures 17 are formed in the flange 10 at suitable points and here shown as extending through the flange intermediate the studs 16.

In the operation of the invention the mouthpiece A and shield C are separated, a cigarette B is inserted in the socket 8' of the mouthpiece and ignited in the usual manner. The shield C is then applied over the cigarette by inserting the ignited outer end thereof in the open end of the shield which is then advanced into telescopic engagement with the wall i; and studs 16 on the outer end of the mouthpiece 10 as shown in FIG. 2, thus encasirig the cigarette Within the shield C.

I claim:

The combination with a cigarette mouthpiece having an outer end terminating in a tubular cigarette receiving and holding extension, said mouthpiece having a draft passage leading longitudinally therethrou gh opening at said outer end interiorly of said extension, of

a tubular shield having a cylindrical side wall with an inner end and an outer end and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough,

said shield being adapted to encompass a cigarette held in said extension and projecting from outer end of said mouthpiece,

aieaaee v L a reticulated wall on the outer end of said shield extend a plurality of studs projecting from the outer end of ing over the passage therein, said mouthpiece, the inner-wall of said shield slidably the side wall of said shield comprising a pair of syaced engaging said studs and the outer surface of said con'centrieeylindnical Walls having a continuous air tubular extension. space therebetween extending substantially through- 5 References t p t out the length of said shield, Cl ed m he file of thls a Wall on the outer end of said shield closing the outer UNITED STATES PATENTS I end of said air space, 1 7 971,497- Etcheverry et a1 Sept. 27, 1910 said mouthpiece having a radially extending flange on 1,266,553 Cherekjian May 21, 1918 its outer end against which the inner end of said 10 1,866,641 Gauthier et a1 July 12, 1932 shield abuts, said flange having openings extending 2,738,792 Smith Mar. 20, 1956 therethrough leading to said air space for the passage 2,962,030 Bradley Nov. .29, 1960 of atmosphere to and from said air space to effect a cooling action on said shield when heated by the FOREIFHTI PATENTS burning of a cigarette surrounded by said shield, and 101578 m Bmtam 1993 

